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U.S. News Names Hamline 1st in MN, 11th in Midwest Among Best Regional Universities

For the eleventh consecutive year, Hamline University remains the top-ranked Minnesota university in its class in the 2012 rankings of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S.News & World Report magazine.

Hamline University ranked first in Minnesota and eleventh among 143 universities in the Midwest region in the magazine’s Best Regional Universities category. Hamline has been ranked in the top fifteen in the Midwest since it was added to the Best Regional Universities category (formerly titled Best Universities-Master’s category) in 2001.

In the U.S. News sections entitled “Strong Commitment to Teaching” and “Up and Coming Schools,” Hamline University ranked fifth in the Midwest. In the “Great Schools, Great Prices” section, in which schools are ranked in terms of dollar value for the quality of education, Hamline was again ranked in the top fifteen “best value” schools among the 143 universities in its class. Hamline also made the list of “A+ Schools for B Students.”

“An exceptional, personalized teaching and learning environment and true value for a quality education are hallmarks of the Hamline experience, and it is heartening to note that for more than a decade Hamline University’s academic reputation and success has been affirmed by U.S. News in its annual college rankings,” said Dr. Linda Hanson, president of Hamline University. “However, rankings are just one reference source for learning about various schools. Students should visit the campuses of colleges they are exploring, thoroughly examine the programs offered, and consider carefully the quality of teaching they will receive to make the college choice that is right for each of them.”

The magazine’s Best Regional Universities category includes schools throughout the nation that award primarily undergraduate and master’s degrees and a small number of doctoral degrees. The rankings measure a school’s overall academic reputation, as well as selected criteria within its undergraduate college, such as average graduation rate, first year student retention, class size, and faculty to student ratio, among other criteria, to compute an academic quality rating.

Other Minnesota schools in the Best Regional Universities category include St. Catherine University (tied for #14), Bethel University (tied for #19), College of St. Scholastica (tied for #26), Augsburg College (#28), and Concordia University (#98). A complete listing of this year's rankings is available at the U.S.News & World Report website.